fellow…men。　And　humbly　and　trustfully　leave　the　rest　to　the　God
  who　made　you；　and　to　the　Saviour　who　loved　you　better　than　his
  own　life。
  〃This　is　the　faith　in　which　I　have　lived；　by　the　Divine　help　and
  mercy；　from　my　youth　upward。　I　ask　you　earnestly；　I　ask　you
  confidently；　to　make　it　your　faith；　too。　It　is　the　mainspring　of
  all　the　good　I　have　ever　done；　of　all　the　happiness　I　have　ever
  known；　it　lightens　my　darkness；　it　sustains　my　hope；　it　comforts
  and　quiets　me；　lying　here；　to　live　or　die；　I　know　not　which。　Let
  it　sustain；　comfort；　and　enlighten　you。　It　will　help　you　in　your
  sorest　need；　as　it　has　helped　me　in　mine。　It　will　show　you
  another　purpose　in　the　events　which　brought　you　and　Allan
  together　than　the　purpose　which　your　guilty　father　foresaw。
  Strange　things；　I　do　not　deny　it；　have　happened　to　you　already。
  Stranger　things　still　may　happen　before　long；　which　I　may　not
  live　to　see。　Remember；　if　that　time　comes；　that　I　died　firmly
  disbelieving　in　your　influence　over　Allan　being　other　than　an
  influence　for　good。　The　great　sacrifice　of　the　AtonementI　say
  it　reverentlyhas　its　mortal　reflections；　even　in　this　world。　If
  danger　ever　threatens　Allan；　you；　whose　father　took　his　father's
  lifeYOU；　and　no　other；　may　be　the　man　whom　the　providence　of
  God　has　appointed　to　save　him。
  〃Come　to　me　if　I　live。　Go　back　to　the　friend　who　loves　you；
  whether　I　live　or　die。
  〃Yours　affectionately　to　the　last；
  〃DECIMUS　BROCK。〃
  〃　'YOU；　and　no　other；　may　be　the　man　whom　the　providence　of　God
  has　appointed　to　save　him！'
  〃Those　are　the　words　which　have　shaken　me　to　the　soul。　Those　are
  the　words　which　make　me　feel　as　if　the　dead　man　had　left　his
  grave；　and　had　put　his　hand　on　the　place　in　my　heart　where　my
  terrible　secret　lies　hidden　from　every　living　creature　but
  myself。　One　part　of　the　letter　has　come　true　already。　The　danger
  that　it　foresees　threatens　Armadale　at　this　momentand　threatens
  him　from　Me！
  〃If　the　favoring　circumstances　which　have　driven　me　thus　far
  drive　me　on　to　the　end；　and　if　that　old　man's　last　earthly
  conviction　is　prophetic　of　the　truth；　Armadale　will　escape　me；　do
  what　I　may。　And　Midwinter　will　be　the　victim　who　is　sacrificed　to
  save　his　life。
  〃It　is　horrible！　it　is　impossible！　it　shall　never　be！　At　the
  thinking　of　it　only；　my　hand　trembles　and　my　heart　sinks。　I　bless
  the　trembling　that　unnerves　me！　I　bless　the　sinking　that　turns　me
  faint！　I　bless　those　words　in　the　letter　which　have　revived　the
  relenting　thoughts　that　first　came　to　me　two　days　since！　Is　it
  hard；　now　that　events　are　taking　me；　smoothly　and　safely；　nearer
  and　nearer　to　the　Endis　it　hard　to　conquer　the　temptation　to　go
  on？　No！　If　there　is　only　a　chance　of　harm　coming　to　Midwinter；
  the　dread　of　that　chance　is　enough　to　decide　meenough　to
  strengthen　me　to　conquer　the　temptation；　for　his　sake。　I　have
  never　loved　him　yet；　never；　never；　never　as　I　love　him　now！
  〃Sunday；　August　10th。The　eve　of　my　wedding…day！　I　close　and
  lock　this　book；　never　to　write　in　it；　never　to　open　it　again。
  〃I　have　won　the　great　victory；　I　have　trampled　my　own　wickedness
  under　foot。　I　am　innocent；　I　am　happy　again。　My　love！　my　angel！
  when　to…morrow　gives　me　to　you；　I　will　not　have　a　thought　in　my
  heart　which　is　not　_your_　thought；　as　well　as　mine！〃
  CHAPTER　XV。
  THE　WEDDING…DAY。
  THE　time　was　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning。　The　place　was　a　private
  room　in　one　of　the　old…fashioned　inns　which　still　remain　on　the
  Borough　side　of　the　Thames。　The　date　was　Monday；　the　11th　of
  August。　And　the　person　was　Mr。　Bashwood；　who　had　traveled　to
  London　on　a　summons　from　his　son；　and　had　taken　up　his　abode　at
  the　inn　on　the　previous　day。
  He　had　never　yet　looked　so　pitiably　old　and　helpless　as　he　looked
  now。　The　fever　and　chill　of　alternating　hope　and　despair　had
  dried；　and　withered；　and　wasted　him。　The　angles　of　his　figure　had
  sharpened。　The　outline　of　his　face　had　shrunk。　His　dress　pointed
  the　melancholy　change　in　him　with　a　merciless　and　shocking
  emphasis。　Never；　even　in　his　youth；　had　he　worn　such　clothes　as
  he　wore　now。　With　the　desperate　resolution　to　leave　no　chance
  untried　of　producing　an　impression　on　Miss　Gwilt；　he　had　cast
  aside　his　dreary　black　garments；　he　had　even　mustered　the　courage
  to　wear　his　blue　satin　cravat。　His　coat　was　a　riding…coat　of
  light　gray。　He　had　ordered　it；　with　a　vindictive　subtlety　of
  purpose；　to　be　made　on　the　pattern　of　a　coat　that　he　had　seen
  Allan　wear。　His　waistcoat　was　white；　his　trousers　were　of　the
  gayest　summer　pattern；　in　the　largest　check。　His　wig　was　oiled
  and　scented；　and　brushed　round；　on　either　side；　to　hide　the
  wrinkles　on　his　temples。　He　was　an　object　to　laugh　at；　he　was　an
  object　to　weep　over。　His　enemies；　if　a　creature　so　wretched　could
  have　had　enemies；　would　have　forgiven　him；　on　seeing　him　in　his
  new　dress。　His　friendshad　any　of　his　friends　been　leftwould
  have　been　less　distressed　if　they　had　looked　at　him　in　his　coffin
  than　if　they　had　looked　at　him　as　he　was　now。　Incessantly
  restless；　he　paced　the　room　from　end　to　end。　Now　he　looked　at　his
  watch；　now　he　looked　out　of　the　window；　now　he　looked　at　the
  well…furnished　breakfast…tablealways　with　the　same　wistful；
  uneasy　inquiry　in　his　eyes。　The　waiter　coming　in；　with　the　urn　of
  boiling　water；　was　addressed　for　the　fiftieth　time　in　the　one
  form　of　words　which　the　miserable　creature　seemed　to　be　capable
  of　uttering　that　morning：　〃My　son　is　coming　to　breakfast。　My　son
  is　very　particular。　I　want　everything　of　the　besthot　things　and
  cold　thingsand　tea　and　coffeeand　all　the　rest　of　it；　waiter；
  all　the　rest　of　it。〃　For　the　fiftieth　time；　he　now　reiterated
  those　anxious　words。　For　the　fiftieth　time；　the　impenetrable
  waiter　had　just　returned　his　one　pacifying　answer；　〃All　right；
  sir；　you　may　leave　it　to　me〃when　the　sound　of　leisurely
  footsteps　was　heard　on　the　stairs；　the　door　opened；　and　the
  long…expected　son　sauntered　indolently　into　the　room；　with　a　neat
  little　black　leather　bag　in　his　hand。
  〃Well　done；　old　gentleman！〃　said　Bashwood　the　younger；　surveying
  his　father's　dress　with　a　smile　of　sardonic　encouragement。
  〃You're　ready　to　be　married　to　Miss　Gwilt　at　a　moment's　notice！〃
  The　father　took　the　son's　hand；　and　tried　to　echo　the　son's
  laugh。
  〃You　have　such　good　spirits；　Jemmy；〃　he　said；　using　the　name　in
  its　familiar　form；　as　he　had　been　accustomed　to　use　it　in　happier
  days。　〃You　always　had　good　spirits；　my　dear；　from　a　child。　Come
  and　sit　down；　I've　ordered　you　a　nice　breakfast。　Everything　of
  the　best！　everything　of　the　best！　What　a　relief　it　is　to　see　you！
  Oh；　dear；　dear；　what　a　relief　it　is　to　see　you。〃　He　stopped　and
  sat　down　at　the　table；　his　face　flushed　with　the　effort　to
  control　the　impatience　that　was　devouring　him。　〃Tell　me　about
  her！〃　he　burst　out；　giving　up　the　effort　with　a　sudden
  self…abandonment。　〃I　shall　die；　Jemmy；　if　I　wait　for　it　any
  longer。　Tell　me！　tell　me！　tell　me！〃
  〃One　thing　at　a　time；〃　said　Bashwood　the　younger；　perfectly
  unmoved　by　his　father's　impatience。　〃We'll　try　the　breakfast
  first；　and　come　to　the　lady　afterward！　Gently　does　it；　old
  gentlemangently　does　it！〃
  He　put　his　leather　bag　on　a　chair；　and　sat　down　opposite　to　his
  father；　composed；　and　smiling；　and　humming　a　little　tune。
  No　ordinary　observation；　applying　the　ordinary　rules　of　analysis；
  would　have　detected　the　character　of　Bashwood　the　younger　in　his
  face。　His　youthful　look；　aided　by　his　light　hair　and　his　plump
  beardless　cheeks；　his　easy　manner　and　his　ever…ready　smile；　his
  eyes　which　met　unshrinkingly　the　eyes　of　every　one　whom　he
  addressed；　all　combined　to　make　the　impression　of　him　a　favorable
  impression　in　the　general　mind。　No　eye　for　reading　character；　but
  such　an　eye　as　belongs　to　one　person；　perhaps；　in　ten　thousand；
  could　have　penetrated　the　smoothly　deceptive　surface　of　this　man；
  and　have　seen　him　for　what　he　really　wasthe　vile　creature　whom
  the　viler　need　of　Society　has　fashioned　for　its　own　use。　There　he
  satthe　Confidential　Spy　of　modern　times；　whose　business　is
  steadily　enlarging；　whose　Private　Inquiry　Offices　are　steadily　on
  the　increase。　There　he　satthe　necessary　Detective　attendant　on
  the　progress　of　our　national　civilization；　a　man　who　was；　in　this
  instance　at　least；　the　legitimate　and　intelligible　product　of　the
  vocation　that　employed　him；　a　man　professionally　ready　on　the
  merest　suspicion　（if　the　merest　suspicion　paid　him）　to　get　under
  our　beds；　and　to　look　through　gimlet…holes　in　our　doors；　a　man
  who　would　have　been　useless　to　his　employers　if　he　could　have
  felt　a　touch　of　human　sympathy　in　his　father's　presence；　and　who
  would　have　deservedly　forfeited　his　situation　if；　under　any
  circumstances　whatever；　he　had　been　personally　accessible　to　a
  sense　of　pity　or　a　sense　of　shame。
  〃Gently　does　it；　old　gentleman；〃　he　repeated；　lifting　the　covers
  from　the　dishes；　and　looking　under　them　one　after　the　other　all
  round　the　table。　〃Gently　does　it！〃
  〃Don't　be　angry　with　me；　Jemmy；〃　pleaded　his　father。　〃Try；　if　you
  can；　to　think　how　anxious　I　must　be。　I　got　your　letter　so　long
  ago　as　yesterday　morning。　I　have　had　to　travel　all　the　way　from
  Thorpe　AmbroseI　have　had　to　get　through　the　dreadful　long
  evening　and　the　dreadful　long　nightwith　your　let